The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that might not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Trash compactors are often used to minimize the volume of space that trash occupies. In some cases, trash compactors double as a waste receptacle and a compactor. In these cases, the compaction functionality of the receptacle may reduce the number of times that the receptacle needs to be emptied of trash.
In recent years, trash compactors have begun to be placed in public settings such that the volume of waste from public waste receptacles may be reduced in addition to reducing the number of times that such receptacles may need to be emptied. For example, in some cases, compaction-capable trash receptacles may be placed at various locations in amusement parks or public parks.
Given the public setting of these devices, at least two issues that have been addressed are safety and damage protection. That is, given the mechanical moving parts and the power of those parts for compaction, controls have been implemented to assure that users are prevented from reaching into or otherwise placing body parts in the path of the compaction head when the machine is compacting. Still further, user manipulation of the machines has also been reduced to avoid users damaging the machine through rough use. For example, in contrast to kitchen trash compactors of the past that included a trash bin that was part of an openable and closeable drawer, the public compactors are more akin to a public waste receptacle with a door across the receptacle opening and little to no other external moving or manipulable parts.
Open spaces such as amusement parks and public parks are adapted for large trash receptacles and, as such, compaction-capable trash receptacles that are safe and resistant to damage and have been developed for these locations tend to be bulky and large. This large size may be a result of needing to accommodate the compaction apparatus, the safety controls, and the damage resistance and because the open space did not create a need for a smaller device.
One location that tends to create a large volume of trash is public restrooms. Moreover, the trash created tends to be relatively light and not very dense. As such, this type of trash is highly compactable. However, restrooms tend to be relatively small spaces that are not amenable to large trash receptacles. In some cases, the receptacles are built into the walls to save space. As such, use of compaction-capable receptacles that have been implemented in public spaces may not be a viable option.